03-11-02

By Gregg Kleiner, 541-753-0018
SOURCES: Brian Paul, 541-737-7320
David Porter, 541-737-2466

CORVALLIS - When Oregon State University engineering student Michael Pfohman read about biodiesel, a form of processed spent cooking oil that can power diesel engines, he was so inspired by the potential of this renewable fuel that he sold his gasoline-powered car, bought a 1981 diesel VW Jetta, and set about finding a source of the clean-burning diesel substitute.

Oregon State University Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering students Tyler Kuenzi, James Tingey, Dan Forster, Michael Pfohman, and Rob Loper (pictured, from right) pose with Pfohman's 1981 diesel VW Jetta that they power with biodiesel, a clean-burning, "green" fuel substitute the students manufacture from used cooking oil. With guidance from IME faculty members Brian Paul and David Porter (pictured, from left), the team designed a manufacturing process that converts spent deep fryer oil from a local restaurant into biodiesel. Click on image to go to downloadable photo

The only problem was that the nearest companies converting used vegetable oil to biodiesel were as far away as Florida or Hawaii, and the cost of importing the fuel to Oregon was as high as $4 per gallon.

Determined to power his "new" car with "green" fuel, Pfohman, of Salem, Ore., drew on his OSU engineering education that emphasizes innovation, creativity and beyond-the-box thinking, and decided to figure out how to make his own biodiesel.

To take on the production of biodiesel as their senior project, Pfohman lobbied fellow senior Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering students Dan Forster, Eugene; James Tingey, Corvallis; Tyler Kuenzi, Salem; and Rob Loper, Albany. They agreed, drawn to his proposal because it had the potential to improve air quality and help wean the nation from foreign oil.

Although most OSU engineering students select a senior project from a list provided by faculty, Pfohman and team approached OSU engineering faculty advisers Brian Paul and David Porter, who, after ensuring that the project was safe, gave the students the green light.

Pfohman says his department was "very open and accepting" of an idea that dealt with powerful chemicals, cars, and went well beyond the boundaries of other senior projects.

"I seriously doubt most engineering schools would have allowed this project to go forward," Paul said. "But at OSU we're very interested in removing the obstacles and letting the students charge ahead."

Charge ahead they did. Team members logged long hours and late nights designing and fabricating the reactor and refining the conversion process. "By owning the project, we were very committed," Phofman said. "It was our idea, so we worked harder."

A clear alternative. Project Manager Rob Loper holds a sample of the clean-burning, "green" biodiesel manufactured by Oregon State University engineering students. The fuel can be poured directly into fuel tanks of diesel engines like the team's VW Jetta shown in the background. One of the many benefits: no more black smoke. Click on image to go to downloadable photo

Because this project involved a lot of chemistry, the students had to seek help from OSU faculty member Skip Rochefort in the Department of Chemical Engineering, who offered chemical engineering advice as well as lab space to build the reactor.

This cross-disciplinary theme made the project more attractive to advisers Paul and Porter. Working across departmental boundaries, they say, fits well with the university's goal to build a nationally ranked engineering program at OSU - a program that develops well-rounded, work-ready engineers who can communicate effectively and excel in team environments.

Each week the students picked up 25 gallons of spent cooking oil from a local restaurant, The Chippery. By giving its oil to the students, the restaurant saved the $35 pickup fee charged by a rendering company. The team used their reactor to convert the oil to biodiesel by adding lye and methanol, generating only one byproduct - glycerin, commonly used as soap.

With time they fine-tuned the process to produce a form of biodiesel pure enough to pour into a fuel tank. All their hard work paid off: during a recent weekend, the group's biodiesel powered Pfohman's VW Jetta to the Oregon coast and back.

The cost of fuel for the 150-mile trip for Pfohman? Not a nickel. Side benefit? The dark plumes of sooty diesel exhaust were replaced with the invisible and faint aroma of French fries.

But the students didn't stop there. They have fine-tuned the process so that their biodiesel can be certified to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Many automobile and farm equipment manufacturers, including Volkswagen, John Deere, Audi, Caterpillar, BMW, Volvo, and others, now warrant their vehicles for use with biodiesel. The fuel has been tested widely by government and by private industry with no negative side effects. Biodiesel has a higher lubricity than petroleum diesel, which can reduce engine wear.

As part of their project, Pfohman and teammates interviewed farmers, truckers, the OSU Motorpool staff, and others about the local market for biodiesel. They discovered that interest in the sustainable fuel runs very high in Oregon.

Pfohman would like to expand the project into a business enterprise, mainly because he wants to do engineering work that has a positive impact on the planet.

"Engineers like to make a difference in the world," Paul said. "This is their contribution to that. These students embody the type of engineering graduates we are producing here at OSU as we build a top-25 program. Remove the obstacles and they do amazing things."

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